The retailer says it was primarily a business decision, but concerns raised by groups over the magazine's content were heard.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation says Walmart's decision makes it a "leader and trailblazer in corporate responsibility." In a statement, the group says Cosmo "places women's value primarily on their ability to sexually satisfy a man and therefore plays into the same culture where men view and treat women as inanimate sex objects."

Walmart senior director of corporate affairs Meggan Kring says customers can find Cosmopolitan in the magazine section of its stores.

An email seeking comment from Cosmopolitan's parent company, Hearst, was not immediately returned.

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